Senate The US Politics 2.0 Discussion Thread

Holy crap, Liz Cheney wasn't just beaten, she was annihilated! Has an incumbent candidate ever lost by more than 35 points? I can't think of any incumbent loss in American elections this horrible, it's almost like she intentionally committed political suicide, and she truly deserves it! My insincere condolences to the Lincoln Project sickos and all the other neoconservative Democrats who think she's one of the "good ones"!

 

As Cheney pointed out in her concession speech in the clip I saw on the news, she said she won with 73% of the primary vote in the 2020. But she said to do that again would require embracing Trump's election lies and she didn't want to do that (and lost).

R primary Wyoming
2022: Cheney 29.5% (lost)
2020: Cheney 73.5% (won)
2018: Cheney 67.2% (won)
2016: Cheney 39.9% (won)

Wyoming is the most pro-Trump / Republican state in the entire United States where Trump won the general election with 68%-70% of the vote in the two recent elections. It's also the smallest state in population in the United States and one of the whitest.

 

It’s going to be interesting what Cheney does next. From her concession speech and other info released today it sounds like going after Trump could be her full time focus. Even heard speculation she may run for president - not to win but to troll Trump and keep him distracted.

 

"She's a hero for taking a 7-figure job with us!" - MSNBC

 

Associated Press - Murkowski and her Trump-backed challenger advance in Alaska Senate race



Right now (70% in) the results for the special election in Alaska are (NY Times):

38.0% Peltola (D)
31.9% Palin (R)
28.5% Begich (R)

Peltola is underperforming the public opinion polls and Palin and is overperforming but that is not final and there's still a chunk of results yet to go.

These elections in Alaska are conducted under RCV (ranked choice voting) like the NY mayor's election was recently.

 

In politics, it is political suicide to speak against your party in such a manner. That's why it almost never happens. Some of these numb nuts know what they're doing by supporting the big lie is wrong. Regardless of her other beliefs, she did at least one good thing. It doesn't undo her votes, which is not why Democrats supported her. It showed that there are limits to the Trump insanity.

 

37% loss would be pretty similar to Neil Abercrombie being defeated in the primary for Hawaiian governor in 2014 (35%), Of course, I presume we're not counting incumbent losses like Marie Newman's 39% loss for the House in June

 

So, has the FBI returned to Trump all the documents he asked for that he says were his but at the same time said they were planted by the FBI?

 

But they were only planted after he declassified them!

 

They planted the extra passports too, which Trump wanted back.

 

Declassified passports!

 

They also planted video evidence that the declassified planted files were not in a secure location.

 

I both do and don't get these reactions. Yes, it's annoying that she will be rich. But she was rich anyway. And was always going to be prominent. She is form one of the most influential families in Republican politics and has connections spanning back decades. She was in the leadership of the Republican conference as they were poised to take back the House of Representatives. She could have very easily been not only very rich and on TV, but rich, on TV, and politically powerful herself. She did sacrifice that by denouncing Trump. That is a real sacrifice, even if it's one any minimally decent person (or even just that values their own mental health, given that these people otherwise have to work with Trump if he wins the Presidency again) would have made. How is that not a real sacrifice?

Sometimes terrible people do the right thing. It's okay to acknowledge that, even when they are still despicable overall.

Glitter: I don't know why you are so excited about a MAGA person taking power. Let's not pretend the election was about anything else beyond supporting or opposing Donald Trump. Why are you happy that people love him so much?

 

Damn, now Trump's going to have someone who votes with him 100% of the time, rather than a mere 93%.

Nothing to see here, folks: one crime family falls; the newest one rises.

 

If the Cheneys go after Trump with all they've got, it won't be pretty for Donny.

 

Hageman today says Pres. Biden is a human trafficker

 

True. She's not 'one of the good ones' but not for the reasons you stated. She voted for Trumpian policies most of the time and will be replaced by someone less competent. So! The only one who lost here is the GOP and Trump. Bravo in shooting your own dork off.

 

I have no idea whom either Rex Chapman or Seth Abramson are. I also don't really know what happens on Twitter or how any of this involves giving money. I'll just point out that CNN hired Corey Lewandowski, knowing that he had both, while the guy was not only actively supporting Trump but literally still on the guy's payroll. I hardly think that Cheney had to pretend to be anti-Trump to get on TV or whatever. He is an extremely unlikable work colleague besides whatever other issues senior Republican families may have with one another. I don't really know or care. Independent of her motivations for doing so, renouncing her previous association with Trump is positive.

 

Lawful Evil lost to Chaotic Evil.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/politics/desantis-pension-rules-esg-investing/index.html

Ooh, I hope all these pension funds divest from Florida and the fund managers pull out and relocate somewhere more friendly. DeSantis won’t be happy when billions of $$ exit his state. Or maybe he will, but others will not.

At this rate, Delaware is going to end up being the new business Mecca in the United States. Business-friendly without all the culture war politics that the red states are focused on.

 

Big news! Allen Weisselberg has changed his mind and has now decided to flip against Trump and the Trump Organization, presumably putting criminal charges against Trump back on the table!

He also pled guilty to 15 felonies that were involved in a 15-year long tax evasion scheme. The walls are closing in on Trumpy! Fingers crossed...

 

While it would be excellent to see Trump in jail—not to mention keeping him away from the White House—the problem still remains that without him on the ballot to run against, Democrats have no real affirmative case to make to the American people about why they should receive their votes. Prosecuting Trump doesn’t change that. Although Democrats’ poll numbers have improved of late, it’s hard to gauge whether or not this is due to finally passing major legislation or negative press regarding the TFG and his acolytes. Instinct tells me it’s the latter, which is a bad sign for the party over the long term.

 

@Darth Nerdling Not quite. Weisselberg is flipping against the Trump Organization but will not testify against Trump directly. It's a small but substantial difference. I asked my go to buddy lawyer on what he thought. Basically he is thoroughly disappointed but understands where the prosecution is coming from. Basically you have a witness unwilling to speak out against his mob boss even against the threat of jail (up to 15 years as you pointed out) but will testify against the mob syndicate itself. To him, they must feel like they have a slam dunk case against the Trump Corporation that could really punish it and that is worth more then going after Trump himself with a case he could possibly beat. How much? Perhaps into bankruptcy if they can levy enough fine and damages which is something I don't believe has ever happened with the Trump Corporation . Many of it's offshoots obviously have gone bankrupt like Trump Steaks, Trump Airlines, Trump Casinos etc (and most likely Truth Social) but not the actual holding company. Trump has always protected that with his worthless life and for obvious reason. Until he got into politics, the entire lifeblood of himself and his rotten family ran thru Trump Tower. It has a crummy credit score (19 out of a 100 which some reference, the average credit score for a company is 50) but unless I am mistaken it's never gone bankrupt. If it did so due to being fined and penalized, it be a massive blow to not only him but again that miserable POS family.

Meanwhile the affidavit case is being heard and Trump's lawyers are doing the opposite of what he and his cult said on social media/TV:



No way on earth do they want that thing released other then the names of the informant(s) so they can put a target on their back. Court observers are saying the judge could be leaning towards a very very redacted version of it but nothing more. Certainly not releasing names so Trump and his cult can try to intimidate them to stop cooperating.

Edit: @Vaderize03 The human thumb better known as Sean Hannity already amused Trump can still run as a felon. Heck a few have even said there is nothing that can stop him running via a prison cell. Unless it's a court conviction or something that says barred from holding public office for life or he croaks, there is nothing that will stop him from running and most likely winning the nomination. I know many are making a big deal out of Alex Jones saying he is ditching Trump for DeSantis but I think that ultimately will be the minority of MAGAers, at least until Trump dies.